Dragon Emperor
The Dragon Emperors of the Verisian Empire were beings of immense power. The majority of these were emperors or regents that accumulated vast amounts of knowledge and influence who employed these assets to ascend via Apotheosis. After their ascension to Dragonhood, they were worshipped as Divine Gods in the Imperial Cult. The aspects of their divinity were derived from their path to power, their character and their personality. History The first Dragon Emperor was the mythical founder of the Verisian Empire, Nimah. After the establishment of the city of Veris, Nimah reigned for roughly a century before discovering Apotheosis and ascending. The Imperial Cult was founded then. After Nimah departed the capitol, his head priest Pharlasis inherited his position as head of state. Pharlasis spent a century searching for Nimah, before eventually discovering the secrets of Apotheosis themselves and ascended. Their position was taken in the Imperial Cult and they quickly departed, searching for Nimah. A period of instability then resulted, as the power vacuum was filled by various warlords, generals and nobles. After several decades, the crisis of the 3rd century was ended with the crowning of Rascia. Rascia was obsessed with achieving Dragonhood, and used their extensive military might to impose imperial authority on neighboring nations and kingdom. The wealth Rascia gained from these conquests fueled the research into Apotheosis, and after a great deal of frustration Rascia eventually was ascended via the efforts of their head magister, Leofwyn, who also ascended roughly a century later. Following the departed of Rascia, then Leofwyn, the Verisian Empire was ruled by the descendants of Leofwyn, the Wynese Dynasty. No members of this dynasty (except for their progenitor) achieved Apotheosis, and it seems that very few were concerned with matters outside administration and conquest. The Wynese Dynasty ended with the ascension of Cindalla, the first empress. She was a much beloved ruler, and a great deal of effort was put helping her ascend. After her ascension, she ruled for a record two centuries before departing. Unlike the other Dragon Emperors, she has returned to Veris on two occasions, both anniversaries of her ascension. The next Dragon Emperor was Lyoreth, who murdered his brother to take the throne. A ruthless emperor, he ruled through terror and violence, and used a great deal of slave sacrifices to cavort with demons in a bid to gain secret insight into the process of ascension. Within only a decade, Lyoreth achieved Apotheosis and achieved the mantle of Dragon Emperor. After reigning for a decadent century, Lyoreth vacated the capitol. He then headed east, conquering the rivalling Sessanian Kingdom and establishing a theocratic rule there headed by priests that worship him and him alone. He is still reigning there to this day. The next dragon emperor was a peasant named Theroni, who led a revolt against the priesthood of Lyoreth that were left in control of the Verisian Empire after Lyoreth’s departure. She refused the position of empress, choosing to crown her general Marthen. Marthen imposed sweeping reforms to the Verisian Empire, reforming the military, instituting a Senate drawn from the nobles, and instituting religious tolerance to the growing Tomerian faith. Both Theroni and Marthen achieved Dragonhood simultaneously, and left control of the Empire in the senate. Shortly after their departure, the senate fell to infighting. After several decades of civil war, a politician named Octanus took over the empire. Reigning over a crumbling and declining empire, Octanus began a campaign of persecution against the Tomerian faith in an attempt to unify his populace. After his ascension, he conquered the gnomish Glitzeran state, and attempted to impose the Imperial Cult there. After several revolts, an agreement was made between the stubborn gnomes and the Verisian Empire, with the gnomes acknowledging the supremacy of the Versian Empire and the Verisian Empire permitting them to practice their customs, laws and faith. Frustrated with his lack of progress in stamping out the Tomerian Faith, conquering Glitzeran and rejuvenating the Verisian Empire; Octanus left the nation, neglecting to appoint a successor. After a series of pseudo-emperors, general, and some short dynasties, the most recent Dragon Emperor, a palatial captain named Derris took the throne. Apotheosis is now a much better understood phenomenon, streamlining the process. Derris ascended after a short three decades on the throne. During a revolt by the now-majority Tomerians, Derris was awoken from his slumber by the palatial captain Emerald Wyrm, an Imperial Cult fanatic. Emerald Wyrm spent a great many years rooting out Tomerians, provoking a huge revolt in the capital by Tomerian faithful seeking to end their prosecution. Emerald Wyrm decided this revolt was beyond them, awakening Derris. Enraged at the Tomerian’s impudence, and the inability of his faithful to keep order, Derris unleashed his fury on the city, turning it to ash. He then raged across the surrounding countryside, moving from city to city, tearing down the Verisian Empire within a single fiery day and night. Political Status Many Dragon Emperors chose to rule for a time, enjoying their divine status, the wealth afforded to them, and the respect (or fear) of the populace. However, after reigning for an extended period, each Dragon Emperor would voluntarily choose to leave their imperial palace, flying away from the capital and off into the wilderness far beyond the limits of the Empire. There are reported sightings of these divine beings after their departure, however such reports are dubious at best. 'Apotheosis' The process of Apotheosis was a closely guarded secret by the senior ranks of the Imperial Cult and palatial guard. In theory, no living person knew how to accomplish it, however multiple ascension to Dragonhood the path was increasingly streamlined. However, it was still a process that took decades to accomplish. As an individual began the process, they shut themselves off in a cold stoney ritual chamber, and a year later would emerge as a fully grown dragon of immense power. The divinity of these beings was confirmed through the ability of their priests and paladins to channel their power to perform miracles and feats of divine magic. Behavior The personality of each Dragon Emperor varied wildly, between the humble affability of Theroni, the noble forbearance of Nimah, and the violent cruelty of Lyoreth. However, all of the Dragon Emperors were beings of immense power, able to rout entire armies and conquer nations all on their own. After periods of activity, however, they required a long period of deep sleep, months and sometimes years at a time. Because of this, some Dragon Emperors such as Cindalla chose to only expand their energies through their agents, priests and paladins. This allowed them to avoid the phenomenal exhaustion that plagued other, more active Dragon Emperors.